Catherine

Please read her story and share on your social media….

Catherine emigrated to New Zealand to pursue the dream of a better life for her and her family. She has selflessly served the community in the UK and here in New Zealand as a Police officer since 1992 with a compassion and energy that is truly unique.

Maybe you’ve seen her and heard her infectious laughter on NZ TV’s Motorway Patrol where she was a regular contributor.

Every day Catherine has proudly worn her uniform working often when the community sleeps, driving towards danger to keep others safe and helping those in harms way. Catherine has always had an unwavering dedication to assist others when they are in truth at that very moment when their lives have been turned upside down.

Earlier this year Catherine was devastated to be diagnosed with Cancer. She had only recently received news that one of her son’s was engaged to be married and had started planning for those celebrations. Now her life has been turned upside down.

Catherine is an active and healthy woman who has made NZ her home bringing up her children on Auckland’s north shore. Catherine’s legacy and passion for service has been passed onto both her sons who currently serve in the military and the police in the UK and NZ.

Catherine is a proud and strong woman and tackled this head on maintaining her humour and positive attitude to life determined to beat this disease.

The support of her friends and her family have fuelled her determination but despite intensive chemotherapy and significant surgery it has now spread. The prognosis is that this is aggressive and so the next step is for Catherine to fight this with treatments that aren’t funded by the Health Board.

Immunology is a transfusion-like therapy where some of the patient’s own immune cells, the ‘T cells’, are modified to express a specific receptor – a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) – in order to redirect them against cancer cells. It is having promising results.

Many emergency service personnel will understand the sacrifice we give of our time away from our families, times that can’t be relived… This is our opportunity to come together to give Catherine those times back with her family.

Every cent we raise will get to Catherine and allow her to receive life changing treatments.

http://www.malaghan.org.nz/what-we-do/cancer/research-highlights/#driving-the-next-generation-of-cancer-immunotherapy-treatments-in-new-zealand